Benefits

The main benefit of having a wireless LAN is simply mobility. It allows you to move around and conduct your work wherever you wish. In an office environment, that can be a large productivity boost when you need to get access to the corporate LAN from various meeting rooms or set up ad-hoc wireless networks with your coworkers so you can share information. At home, it can mean the benefit of sitting out in the sun on your back patio, or sitting in the living room with the kids.

Another benefit with a wireless LAN is that the connection is very fast. Wireless LAN’s typically provide a connection speed of 11Mbps, which is equivalent to most wired LAN speeds, and can even go up to 54 Mbps by using the 802.11a standard. If you attend a conference or are at a hotel or other public area, such as an airport, you may well find that the facility provides wireless access points for you to tap into. In a hotel setting, these can be very useful for high-speed Internet access as opposed to the slower dialup lines often available within the hotel rooms. If your hotel offers this type of connection, you can be much more productive when accessing the Internet and working on email. Many hotels also offer wired broadband connections in the rooms, so you’ll want to check for that option as well.